Pneumatic gun.



l Y Patented Sept. 4, 1900. E.`M. GULDSMfITH.

PNEUMATICI GUN.

(Application filed Dec. 15, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

mls co. Fumo-1.11304. w'AsmNmoN o c No. 657,344. Patented Sept-4, |900.

.` E. M. GLDSMITH.

PNE'UMATIC GUN.

(Application filed Deve. 15, 1899.) .(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Tm; Nonms PETERS m.. Punto-umn.. wAsNmurcN, n.1:

. the gun.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

EDWIN M. GOLDSMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PN EUIVIATIC AGUN.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,344, dated september e, 1900.

' Applicationlednaemberis.1899. seriaiNo. 7110.382. (Nomade.)

To @ZZ-whom it may concern."

Be it'known that I, EDWIN M. Gf'oLDsMITH,A

Figure l represents a longitudinal sectional y view in perspective of a pneumatic gun embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 represents a top view of a portion thereof. Fig. 4 represents a transverse section on line Fig. 6. Fig. represents a transverse" section on liney-y, Fig.w 7. Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal section on line z z, Fighe.4 Fig.' 7 represents a longitudinal section on line Fig. 8 represents alongitudinal section of a portion, showing mainly the pisa a, Fig. 5.

ton of the gun. Fig. 9 represents a top plan Aview of part of the plunger of the gun. Fig. l 10 represents a bottom plan of the sleeve of i Fig. l1 represents a longitudinal -section of another form of my invention. Fig.

12 representsa top or plan view thereof. Fig.-

V13 represents a top or plan view of another i form of the invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A `designates lthe barrel of the gun, and B the stock thereof. C designates an opening in said barrel leadf ing to the pneumatic or air chamber A', near the breech end thereof, around which openi has its front end mounted in the center of the diaphragm K, which is rigidly held within the barrel and provided with ports L for the admission of air into the barrel, it being n oticed that the sleeve J is rotatable in said diaphragms H and K. The rear end of said sleeve, which is behind the diaphragm H, has a crank-arm M connected therewith, the same being slotted and freely receiving one limb of the trigger N, whereby by pressing the latter a lowering motion is communicated to the arm M and the sleeve is accordingly rotated.

P designates a plunger or traveling rod which passes freely through the sleeve J and has its rear end connected by link Q with the upper or inner end of the hand-lever R, the latter being mounted on the stock B and having its lower limb outside of the latter for operative purposes.

Sdesignates a spring which is connected with the rear end of the sleeve J and a Iixed part adjacent thereto for returning said sleeve to its normal position after having been r0 cated by the trigger N.

Encircling the sleeve J is the tubular stem T of the piston U, the latter when in normal position occupying the front of the chamber A. In said stem are openings a and b, through which pass, respectively, the noses of the dog T and check-pawl U', said dog and pawl being mounted on said stem, the nose of the dog T being adapted to enter eitherof the recessesVin the plungerP, while the nose of the check-pawl U is adapted to enter either of the recesses W in the sleeve J, it being noticed thatthesleeve J has in it alongitudinal slot 4X, whe reby the nose portionof the dog T may pass through the same to reach the respective notch V of the plunger P and permit the longitudinal motions of said nose portion of the dog in said slot. The dog and pawl are held in operative position by means of the springs Y Y, which bear against the 'same and are axed to a proper portion of the plunger-stem T. The front of the pneumatic chamber is closed by the piston U, which, as Will be seen in Figs. l, 2, 6, and 8, consists of a perforated head U2 and a pliable flap U3, said piston being firmly connected with the stem T and movable therewith, it now being noticed that air primarily enters and when thepistonis operated inone direcremovedfrom the recesses vfhichfthey-occu-y the barrel through the front diaphragm LK,

tion said air passes through the head U2, the

Hap U3 then opening, and enters the pneumatic chamber A. In the other direction of the piston theflapcloses vand prevents the.,

escapeofthe air forwardvof thepiston.

ing at one end against saidpiston and at the other end against the diaphragm K as a IiXed .point. L

In order to prevent'the escape of air through the slot X when the sleeve J passes through vthe piston U, there is placed in said slot between the piston-stem T and the plunger P, the filling-piece A?, which fcloses saidsloty- `without, however, yinterfering withl the rotaryf motion of the plunger. "In order to prevent; any possible rotar)7 motion of the piston andl its connected parts, together Vwith lthe 'diaphragm K, the bore ofthe 'barrel Vis -provided with the longitudinally-extendingtongue A3, which .enters grooves in said piston and dia-1 phragm, the effect of which is evident.

A4 designates a bu lier'or vcushion. which is` placed on-'t'he rearj portion of the sleeve J, so.r as to abut against the diaphragm H, .i-tre-- eeiving the impact-'of the `pistonor piston` stem-when the latteris impelled vto itsfnormal position by the'action offthe springZ,f-so as to ease the stoppage of the'piston 'andpre-f ventinjury tothe parts subjected utoblowsgV or concussion.

The operation is as follows: The piece Efe-f; paper or otherpliable material is lplaced onf the collarD and the'bandfF thrown 'thereoveigr soas to 'hold the same rmly on `said `col-lar and tightly close'thefopeningfO. The levergy R is now operated, wherebythe 'plungerP :isgadvanced, vand-one of itsrn otches engages'with the nosesof the dog `T,whe'reby-the pistonA stemis Aadvanced Y,and -the pistonlUraccordingly moved with it, airthus rbeingdirected into the pneumatic chamber AA. ,'IheleverR,` may beagain operated, thus rendering the'ad- Vance of thepistony toftherequired vextent vbet- -terthan if accomplishedby one-stroke. lIntermediate of the, motions of thelever-'R'fthe tendency `of Vthe piston to return,duefto thef pressure of the spring Z, is prevented by the; engagement ofthe check-pawl'U'I withft'he Iad-i jacent notch kW in the sleeve J, as'will mostapparent in Fig. v 6. The ftrigger N-*is now operated, whereby rotary motion *is imparted to the sleeve .Land asthe latter rotates j the nosesof the dog T- and 'the pawl VU'fare pied and placed uponthe unrecessedportions of the sleeve J, (see Figs.-5 and 7 ,1) andhenee cannot f engage with either of the respective recesses. Consequently the piston now'being controlled-by the sprin g Z is forci'blyim pelle'd to its normal position, lth'us compressingthe,` air in the'pneumatic chamber Ayand asg'theclosure E of the'openingC is weak i-t isfu-nable 'to endure said pressure-and so `bursts,

producing a-sound after the manner ofY an eziplosion orfareport of a firearm.' Owing to the spring S the sleeve .I returns toits normal position, when the recesses V and W are vagain placed in the paths of the dog T and pawl U,.after which the lever R may be again L operated "to cause the admission of air into Z designates a spring for forcibly returning y the piston toits first position, the same "bearthe chamber A', a fresh piece, such as E, be- .ing applied over the opening C and secured as before, when the gun is ready for another ope eration. As the front diaphragm K is immov- :ableand `the V piston returns to the breech in the operation of the gun, it is impossible to 'discharge aprojectile'from the barrel. Hence the gun is not of adangerous nature and becomes practically-harmless in the hands `of children for others.

YIn'lig. 111 :the rear endof 'the sleeve has conrnectedwith itthe`headB',which is formed with the shoulder C', adapted to cover the wall Vat the'fforward end of the 'opening D in the barrel .as fai-temporary closure f orithefairchamber; whereby vwhen the pistonisreleased said headisforcibly impelled tothe rear-,thus uncoveringsaid opening D ,and 'causingfthe air'to escape forciblyfrom the barrel, thereby producing lthe report.

In Fig. 13 a reed E is applied to the'discharge-fopeni'ngfof the barrel,fs0 as topreduce a-fmusicalsound; lbut in lieu, thereof I lmay employ-fa ,whistle or othersound-producing vdev'ice,-as-shown -by dotted "lines, fthesa'me being operated bythe expelledfair.

"'Havingthusdescribed my invention, what I'cl'aimras new, andfdesi-re' to secure by Letters Patent, 'is-f ,-1. In a pneumatic gun, tanair-chambenat 'the'breechthereo an outlet for said chamberrto 'the atmosphere, "a piston, a leverf'for moving said piston forward vof said chamber,

-andim'eans for forcibly returning-*said piston rearwardly to xsaid chamber, said outlet gbe'- ing atft'hebreech of ythe'barrel.l

:2; `fIn ,ra pneumatic `ygun, an fair chamber therein,a piston in said chambena leverffor movingsaid pi-stonfforward of said chamber, aitemfporary coveringforpart of said chamber formed of material-adapted to be fracvtur-ed. Vbythe"concussion of said air due tothe return of the piston to said chamber-andra vtrigger A'adapted to -releasesaid `piston and means *for returning the breech.

13. A'pneum-aticgun-having-an'air-chamber attheibreech fthereof, a piston, a "leverf-or moving'said piston forward of `thebreech, 'a

piston ftoward the trigger-'rotating mechanism operatedj by-said triggerfforreleasing said piston, and v'means "Iton-returning said trigger rearward to said chamber.

4. A'pneumatic gunfhavin gan air-chamber at the' breech thereof, an-outlet for saidv chamber` ftorthe' atmosphere, a collar around said outlet-'andra movable band` exterior to 4said eollar'sandconcentric therewith for retaining laate-mpora-'ry coverl'over said outlet "between said .col-larandlbandfas described.

IOO

IIO

5. In a pneumatic gun having an air-chamber, an outlet for the latter to the atmosphere, a piston, means for moving the latter from and to said chamber, a sleeve with recesses therein, a plunger in said sleeve with recesses therein, a piston having a stem encircling said sleeve, an advancing dog, and a checkpawl on said stem adapted to enter the recesses of said sleeve and plunger respectively, means for holding said dog and pawl in said recesses, said sleeve having a longitudinallyextending slot for the nose portion of said dog, and means for rotating said sleeve, whereby the dog and pawl are removed from the sleeve and plunger and the piston is then controlled by its returning mechanism.

6. Apneumatic gun having an air-chamber, an outlet for said chamber to the atmosphere, a piston provided with a dog, a traveling rod or plunger adapted to be engaged by said dog, means for advancing said plunger from said chamber, a slotted sleeve intermediate of said plunger and the stem of said piston, means for rotating said sleeve and thereby removing said dog from engagement with said plunger, and a spring bearing against said piston for returning it to said chamber, whereby the air in the chamber is forcibly driven into the atmosphere.

7. A pneumatic gun having an air-chamber, an outlet for said chamber to the atmosphere, a' piston in said barrel, a dog on the stem of said piston, a plunger adaptedto be engaged by said dog, means for advancing said plunger and thereby advancing said piston for said chamber, a rotary sleeve fitted on said plunger and inclosed by said stem, a trigger connected with said sleeve adapted to rotate the same in one direction, a check-pawl on the piston-stem adapted to engage said sleeve, the noses ot' said dogs being in the path of said sleeve in the direction of the rotation of the latter, and a spring bearing against said piston to return the sameto the air-chamber.

8.. A pneumatic gun having an air-chamber at the breech thereof, a piston, means for advancing said piston, from said chamber toward the muzzle, means for releasing said piston, means for returning said piston rearward to said chamber, and a temporary covering for said chamber.

9. A pneumatic gun having an air-chamber at the breech thereof, a piston, alever for advancing said piston, toward the muzzle, a spring to operate said piston when released to return the saine rearward to said chamber, and a temporary covering for part of said chamber formed of material adapted to be fractured by the concussion of the air due to the return of the piston, said chamber being open to the atmosphere at the breech ot' the gun.

l0. In a pneumatic gun, an air-chamber therein at the breech thereof, an outlet for said chamber to the atmosphere at the breech, a piston in said chamber, and means for advancing said piston from said chamber, for holding it in its advanced position, for releasing it from its holding mechanism and for returning it rearwardly to the breech, and an immovable support for the portion of the mechanism Within the barrel at the end toward the muzzle.

EDWIN M. GOLDSMITH.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, WM. `CANER WIEDERSHEIM. 

